The ultimate goal of satanic deception is to separate believers from their relationship with their heavenly Father, strip them of their spiritual inheritance and set them in a place of total despair—just like the prodigal (Luke15). The young Jewish man rebelled against the family, leaving the care of his loving dad, and demanding his future inheritance—which he eventually blew on harlots and riotous living (vv. 13, 30). Eventually, his cash flow ceased and he ended up in a pigpen—not just feeding swine but also eating husks, believed by some scholars to be the pod of the carob tree. The Jews refuse to eat pork of any type (Lev. 11:7). Thus, feeding pigs would be the lowest form of work a Jew could ever perform.

This rebel was separated from the presence of his father but never from the love of his father! This is important to understand when you have a child or grandchild dealing with “pigpen sins.” These are sins that are morally despicable and involve perverted passions.

While some suggest all sins are morally despicable, there are sins of natural affection and sins of unnatural affection. It is natural for a man and a woman to have physical attraction, and thus without restraint and discipline some couples have fallen into fornication (sex before marriage) and adultery (sex after marriage with someone not your legal companion).

However, it is (despite some modern claims to the contrary) unnatural for a man and a man or a woman and a woman to have the same type of attraction that would lead to sexual practices with the same sex. Paul wrote of this type of conduct being “without natural affection” (Rom. 1:31, KJV) and spoke of men “leaving the natural use of women, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly” (v. 27), causing them to be given over to “vile affections” (v. 26).

The stubborn son eventually fell as low as a man could do, yet his father never forgot about him, no doubt prayed for him, and always loved him. He was not in the father’s presence but was always in his father’s heart.

When the young son ran out of money, he also ran out of friends. His friends were now a bunch of squealing swine living in the mud, and he was their source of provision. Eventually the son found himself looking up from the bottom, and something kicked in that stirred the desire to return home.

It was his memories of a better time! At his dad’s house he was served by servants instead of him serving pigs. He was fed the best instead of dried husks. He had a warm bedroom instead of looking up at the stars, shivering on cold nights. Concerning your own children, the enemy might take their bodies and abuse them, but as long as they can think, he cannot steal the memories you have made with them.

It was at the lowest point of his life when he had lost all that the son came to himself. Often a rebellious child must hit bottom before coming to his or her senses and realizing the goodness of both his or her earthly father and mother and his or her heavenly Father.

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Never give up, even with pigpen sins or when debauchery of evil has cloaked the soul and a veil of blindness binds their understanding. Hold on to faith, hope, love and time. When the moment comes for their deliverance, just as with the man bound by spirits in Mark 5, Jesus knows how to send pigs running, cause chains to break, and put people in their right minds.

Remember every promise, every word, and every dream God has given you, and fight the fight with the promises of God, such as the words of Jeremiah 29:11-13: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (NKJV).

Our ultimate spiritual weapon of war is the written Word of God. Certain Scriptures from the Bible are quickened to our spirit, giving us an immediate word from God to stand on for our conflicts and blessings. When a prophetic word is revealed to our spirit or through an accurate vocal gift, we, like Timothy can fight a good warfare with the word that has been spoken to us (1 Tim. 1:18).

Adapted from Exposing Satan’s Playbook by Perry Stone, copyright 2012, published by Charisma House. What if you could acquire advanced knowledge about demonic attacks against you and your family? With this book you can expand your knowledge of spiritual warfare, and become a force to be reckoned with against the powers of darkness.

This week “hold on to Faith, Hope, Love and Time” when praying for your loved ones. Ask God for a scripture you can stand on to call them into the will of God for their lives. Thank Him for His written Word and claim His promises regarding your life and the lives of your loved ones. Continue to pray for those persecuted for the cause of Christ and remember Israel when you pray for worldwide revival and the spread of God’s kingdom. Lift our national, civic and spiritual leaders. Remember the poor and those suffering loss. Ask God for opportunities to be the answer to someone’s prayer by carrying His presence, sharing His Word and meeting the need. Jer. 29:11; 1 Tim. 1:18; 1 Thes. 5:17.

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